JHS making fourth trip to championship game since 2005

Jacksonville’s Aaron Sparks (12) beats Cardinal Gibbons’ Chase Rhode to the ball during the Cardinals’ 6-2 victory over the Crusaders on Tuesday night in the NCHSAA 3-A East Regional final.

Greg Mintel/The Daily News

By Staff Reports

Published: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 10:00 AM.

RALEIGH — Jacksonville is back in the state soccer championship game.

The Cardinals advanced to their fourth state final since 2005 with an impressive 6-2 victory over two-time defending champion Cardinal Gibbons on Tuesday night in the NCHSAA 3-A East Regional final.

Jacksonville (25-1) will play Hickory (27-1) on Saturday in the state title game at the Dail Soccer Stadium at N.C. State University. The game time will be announced today.

“It’s not quite any other feeling like this,” Cardinals senior midfielder Aaron Sparks said. “I’ve been in championship games with my club team, but it’s not the same as being in one with the guys you see every day and go to school with. It’s really a great feeling, and it’s something I’ve been working four years for.”

Jacksonville was in the regional final for the eighth consecutive season but was looking to advance to the state championship game for the first time since 2008. The Cardinals lost to Cardinal Gibbons in the regional final the past three years.

“It feels great, and I am really happy for the boys because they’ve worked hard,” said Jacksonville coach Dave Miller, who led the Cardinals to the 2005 state title and return trips to the state finals in 2006 and 2008. “We had been a little unlucky the past few years and had some bad breaks, but our kids found a way to get it done tonight.”

The Cardinals advanced to their fourth state final since 2005 with an impressive 6-2 victory over two-time defending champion Cardinal Gibbons on Tuesday night in the NCHSAA 3-A East Regional final.

Jacksonville (25-1) will play Hickory (27-1) on Saturday in the state title game at the Dail Soccer Stadium at N.C. State University. The game time will be announced today.

“It’s not quite any other feeling like this,” Cardinals senior midfielder Aaron Sparks said. “I’ve been in championship games with my club team, but it’s not the same as being in one with the guys you see every day and go to school with. It’s really a great feeling, and it’s something I’ve been working four years for.”

Jacksonville was in the regional final for the eighth consecutive season but was looking to advance to the state championship game for the first time since 2008. The Cardinals lost to Cardinal Gibbons in the regional final the past three years.

“It feels great, and I am really happy for the boys because they’ve worked hard,” said Jacksonville coach Dave Miller, who led the Cardinals to the 2005 state title and return trips to the state finals in 2006 and 2008. “We had been a little unlucky the past few years and had some bad breaks, but our kids found a way to get it done tonight.”

They sure did.

Sophomore C.J. Sparks led five different Jacksonville goal-scorers with 2 goals. Meanwhile, Aaron Sparks added a goal and 2 assists for the Cardinals, who took a 3-0 lead into halftime.

“I think we did a great job of marking up and our counterattacks were quick and decisive,” Aaron Sparks said. “It all just worked out.”

Senior Austin Patselas gave Jacksonville a 1-0 lead 17 minutes when he scored an unassisted goal after senior defender Blake Heatherly played a pass to inside the 18-yard box before it was deflected by the goalkeeper.

Junior Warren Washington then scored four minutes later off an assist from Aaron Sparks to make it 2-0. The Cardinals, who also got a goal from Tyler Moore, went up 4-0 before the Crusaders finally scored. Cardinal Gibbons’ second goal came with 13:04 left to cut Jacksonville’s lead to 5-2.

“They had a big field and we were able to find gaps behind their defense,” Miller said. “We were able to use our speed and get behind the defenders.”

Senior goalkeeper Zach McCracken made 8 saves for Jacksonville, which limited Cardinal Gibbons leading scorer Ade Taiwo to one goal.

“I think marking Ade was a big part of it,” Aaron Sparks said. “He was their strongest attacker.”

But while Jacksonville’s regional final win gave the Cardinals plenty to celebrate, the victory was also bittersweet since Patselas can’t play Saturday.

Patselas, his team’s emotional leader, was issued his third yellow card of the playoffs with about 30 minutes left in the match. Players who earn three yellow cards in the playoffs have to sit out the next game.

“We will make adjustments,” Miller said. “I think we will be OK. We just need to find someone else to be our spark plug.”